Coach Mike Singletary is probably too busy this week to pay attention to my entry in his suggestion box.

But here it is anyway:

Hire Tom Rathman.

As offensive coordinator? Perhaps. Though the concept of a rookie O.C. and a rookie head coach concerns me, Rathman has paid his dues. If not coordinator, how about as a running-backs coach with some added juice — like the ever-popular assistant head coach title?

Whatever it takes, find a way to get Rathman back in the 49ers fold.

Right now Rathman is in limbo — still under contract with the Raiders until next week but guaranteed of nothing. The 2008 rumor mill has had him heading to Seattle to join Jim Mora’s staff with Greg Knapp — but that hasn’t officially happened yet.

So the 49ers should act quickly. Because Rathman is a perfect fit for the Singletary era: smashmouth football firmly rooted in Bill Walsh’s legacy.

Last week — after Singletary fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz and running-backs coach Tony Nathan — he outlined his offensive plans. Singletary said he was looking for a style “that used to be here when Coach Bill Walsh was here, but in a different mindset. I want to have the ability to know that I can impose my will on the defense.”

When he said that, the image of No. 44 barreling into the end zone popped into my head.

Rathman has quietly been one of the most successful running-backs coaches in the league. He has been an NFL assistant for 11 years — which means he’s probably more than ready to make the leap to offensive coordinator. More so than a lot of the young self-promoting pups who are getting buzz.

Self-promotion has never been his strong suit. As a player, Rathman was out of the John Taylor school — he let his actions do the talking.

And as an assistant coach, his actions speak volumes. When he was with the 49ers from 1997 to 2002, his unit led the league in rushing twice and finished second once. In two years with the Raiders, the rushing attack has been one of the few bright spots: sixth in the league last year and 10th this season. (We’ll ignore his three years in Detroit because, well, it was the Lions.) Last season, he helped transform Justin Fargas from afterthought to primary focus.

“I’ve learned so much from him,” Fargas said last year. “He’s constantly coaching the small details of the game, the reads and protections, protecting the ball.”

Not surprisingly — given his own background — Rathman’s runners are also solid blockers, good at picking up the blitz and they don’t fumble a lot.

Of course, the most important thing in Rathman’s favor is that he’s part of the 49ers legacy. He played for Walsh and George Seifert. He worked alongside Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Roger Craig. He coached side by side with Bobb McKittrick in the offensive-line guru’s final years.

He knows what it means to be a 49er, how much hard work went into those great teams, how much pride was instilled. It’s a connection that has been largely lost in the York era. It’s an intangible that couldn’t be provided by Jim Fassel or Scott Linehan.

He’s one of the few from the 49ers dynasty who has chosen coaching. When he retired after the 1994 season, he paid his dues at Serra High and Menlo College before coming to work for Steve Mariucci. He is highly regarded around the league and will definitely have options.

But he should be back in the 49ers fold. If Singletary gives him a call this week, they can celebrate the 20th anniversary of when the two men met over the line of scrimmage in the NFC championship game at Soldiers Field.

In the 26-below weather, the Bears were predicted to destroy the finesse 49ers. Instead, it was a 28-3 49ers romp.

And Rathman — who had to pick up a blitzing Singletary a time or two that day — reminded observers of just who the 49ers were back then.

“There’s no doubt it used to be a finesse passing team,” Rathman said. “But this is a power offense.”

That’s exactly what Singletary is dreaming of. Time for Rathman to come home.

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